Vaginal rings are devices intended to be inserted into a female in order to deliver a pharmaceutical or medicinal agent. For example, most vaginal rings are designed so as to deliver controlled amounts of a pharmaceutical or medicinal agent over an extended period of time. Vaginal rings are typically made from an elastomeric material into which the pharmaceutical or medicinal agent is incorporated. The pharmaceutical or medicinal agent is then released over time by diffusion.
In the past, various different types of drugs have been administered to patients through the use of vaginal rings. For instance, vaginal rings have been used to deliver low doses of steroids. In other embodiments, vaginal rings have been used to deliver a birth control agent, such as a spermicide.
One reoccurring problem that has been encountered in the past, however, is the ability to design a vaginal ring that will release a pharmaceutical or medicinal agent at uniform rates over a controlled period of time. Instead, many vaginal rings have a tendency to deliver higher concentrations of a medicinal or pharmaceutical agent initially and then lower concentrations as time proceeds.
Thus, a need currently exists for a vaginal ring that is better suited to releasing some type of therapeutic agent to a patient in a more uniform and controlled manner. Further, various benefits and advantages may be realized if the vaginal ring is made from a material that degrades in the vaginal environment. If the vaginal ring were made from a biodegradable material, for instance, the vaginal ring would not have to be removed after being inserted and the rate of degradation of the material may be used to control the release of any pharmaceutical, medicinal or therapeutic agents contained within the device. In fact, a biodegradable material capable of releasing a beneficial agent may have many other practical applications in addition to being used to form vaginal inserts.